"My personal view [on an amnesty] is, yes it's worth having a conversation about," said Ledgett. "I would need assurances that the remainder of the data could be secured, and my bar for those assurances would be very high, would be more than just an assertion on his part." Not everyone at the NSA, however, shares Ledgett's view.

NSA chief Keith Alexander poured scorn on the idea. "This is analogous to a hostage taker taking 50 people hostage, shooting 10, and then say, 'if you give me full amnesty, I'll let the other 40 go'. What do you do?"

My writing career has taken me all round the houses over the past decade and a half--from grumpy teens and hungover rock bands in the UK, where I was born, via celebrity interviews, health, tech and f…

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Not only should he be given amnesty, but should receive a medal for being a whistle blower, that revealed how our government has created the N.S.A., and how that agency has systematically violated the 4th amendment rights of all Americans . The Patriot Act is a disgrace and has led to these violations of American rights and should be repealed.